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Le Sughere Winery, Montefico. Farm holiday in Tuscany. Strips of red, stony ground torn from the maquis by hard human labour, old abandoned iron mines, steep slopes overlooking the blue of the sea. First hesitantly and then with joyful vigour, the vines claim their place in this sun-burnt ground, with its ever-present fragrances of broom, cistus and wild lavender. The grapes seems to absorb these perfumes, creating wines with an incredible bouquet, of the type only found on Italy's islands. The Le Sughere winery at Montefico stands in the heart of Elba, the third-largest Italian island, a stone's throw from the ancient mining village of Rio Marina, taking its name from the dense cork (sughero) woods which surround it. The 25-hectare estate houses the vineyards, the wineries and the farmhouses renovated during last year and now available for holiday lets. It is the ideal place for a relaxing holiday, where good wine, genuine food and nature combine to restore guests tired by the stress of daily life. The Winery. It is September, and amber and ruby-red grapes make a fine show between the leaves of the vines. People move along the rows, and skilled hands cut the bunches one by one, taking care not to damage the vines or their precious fruit. The grapes are placed in crates along the neat rows. Once harvested and taken to the winery, the grapes are sorted by type and processed in different ways depending on the type of wine to be made. Moscato, ansonica and aleatico grapes, used to make dessert wines, are left to partially dry in special rooms, to achieve the correct sugar content and the ideal degree of ripeness.